BLM Releasing Small Number of Horses, Mules into Twin Peaks Herd Area

A small number of wild horses and mules and a wild burro will be released into the Bureau of Land Management’s Twin Peaks Herd Management Area (HMA) next week as part of the BLM’s work to maintain a sustainable population with desirable animal characteristics.

Animals will be released at four locations within the 800,000 herd management area on Wednesday, April 6. Members of the public are welcome to accompany the release crews to a location of their choice. Those interested should meet at the BLM Litchfield Corrals, 21 miles east of Susanville on Highway 395 at 8:30 a.m. A high-clearance four wheel drive vehicle is required. Bad weather will postpone the release.

The BLM will release two stallions in the North Observation home range and two stallions in the South Observation home range. Crews will release two mare-colt pairs and two additional mares into the Skedaddle-Dry Valley Home Range. The mares have all been treated with a fertility control drug. Additionally, 11 mules and a burro will be released into the North Twin Peaks home range.

"The mare release will achieve the targeted sex ratio of 60 percent stallions and 40 percent mares in the home range," said Ken Collum, manager of the BLM Eagle Lake Field Office. “The stallions have the saddle horse conformation and size that will maintain the characteristics of the Twin Peaks wild herd. The mules and burro are being released because they are over adoption age. The mules will not contribute to population growth.”

The BLM removed 1,579 wild horses and 160 wild burros from the Twin Peaks HMA in a roundup conducted last August and September. A three-day helicopter based survey conducted in October showed there are now about 790 wild horses and 160 wild burros remaining in the HMA, slightly over the upper limit of the appropriate management level of 448-758 horses and 72-116 burros.

Under provisions of the Wild and Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act, the BLM is required to maintain wild horse and burro populations in balance with other authorized range users including wildlife and permitted livestock.